Lessons on mindset for BJJ competition and training: With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham
I just finished the book With Winning in Mind by Lanny Bassham, which I highly recommend.
It’s popular with high level competitors in many sports, as well as groups like the Navy SEAL sniper course. Bassham won a silver medal in his first Olympics, and he interviewed all the gold medalists he could find to find out what they’re doing differently. He won gold in his next Olympics.
One thing that the gold medalists had in common was that they expected to win. Let’s say we have athlete A who has the mindset that he expects to perform well. And athlete B hopes to perform well, but has a mindset of uncertainty. Who would you pick to win that competition? Which of the two is more likely to give up unnecessarily? Which of the two is more likely to lose focus during the match and get distracted by fear, doubt, and pressure? Your conscious mind can only focus on one thing at a time, and thus is prone to distraction. Your subconscious mind can handle many things at a time(e.g. think about driving a car) and can perform at a higher, faster level. So we want a quiet and relaxed conscious mind, free from worry, performance pressure, and overthinking.
Of course, just telling yourself you’re going to win isn’t going to work if you don’t believe it. Your expectations need to be in balance with your ability. So here’s the trick: Focus on process, not outcome. Once you take your mind off of your score and focus on the process of performing well, you are dealing with something you alone can control.
You cannot control what it will take to win a competition. You cannot control what other competitors will show up, or how they will perform, or what the referee or judges will do. But you can control how you train and prepare. You can’t be 100% sure you’ll win, but it is reasonable to be 100% sure that you are going to perform the best that you possibly can. I didn’t say try the hardest, I said perform the best. ‘Trying’ is associated with uncertainty.
Before you step on the mat, say to yourself “There is no doubt in my mind that I am going to perform the best that I possibly can”. Take a deep breath, and even try a big yawn since yawning is naturally relaxing, so a fake yawn can force your body to relax. When the match starts, let your subconscious mind take over during the fight. There’s nothing to worry about, it’s already a done deal that you’re going to do your best.
There’s a lot more useful information in the book. Check out more reviews in: